Readers Write (April 25): MnSCU chancellor succession, wolves at Isle Royale, funding Minneapolis parks

I strongly concur with Lori Sturdevant's April 17 column regarding Chancellor Steven Rosenstone of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System ("MnSCU could do worse than another Rosenstone"). I have had the privilege of working closely with the chancellor over the past few years as part of an Itasca Project focused on advancing workforce development across Minnesota. Rosenstone's intellect, problem-solving skills and visionary leadership have resulted in improved alignment between higher education and business in our state. His transformative leadership has enabled Minnesota to emerge as a leader in the nation in workforce development through a unique collaboration across private, public and higher-education sectors to begin building the foundation and systems we need for the workforce of the future. This cross-stakeholder approach to workforce development is already having a positive early impact in addressing Minnesota's urgent skill gap by providing key labor-force segments with the facts and analytics needed to make more informed decisions. The chancellor's unique ability to unify multiple constituencies to help achieve a common goal is a skill we can all learn from as we try to tackle some of the more complex issues that confront our region. Visionary leaders committed to driving transformative change often invite criticism from those individuals who are most threatened by a change in the status quo. The hallmark of great leaders is the ability to maintain focus on the greater good even through challenging times. I am hopeful, and confident, that Chancellor Rosenstone will continue to energetically lead through the duration of his MnSCU tenure and take advantage of the platform to continue to constructively influence the public discourse on issues critical to our great state. We will all be better off for it.

The writer is executive vice president and chief human resources officer at the Schwan Food Co.

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Dear MnSCU trustees: Instead of looking for a new chancellor who will continue the practices of the retiring one, how about looking for a person, for starters, whose academic DNA can be traced to the kind of system he or she would lead? Steven Rosenstone earned his academic degrees at institutions everyone would agree are among the elite. His entire professional career, save for a one-semester instructorship at San Francisco State 40 years ago, was built at institutions — Yale, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota — that tend to share a colonial view toward systems like MnSCU. Rosenstone's approach to MnSCU since being appointed chancellor did not tend otherwise, and his difficulties as a leader, finally, were both intellectual and interpersonal: He entered his position with a business-serving agenda that probably sold well during a job interview but was doomed to fall flat among the many constituents who were, without consultation, expected to implement it. Someone with personal experience in a system like ours (beyond one semester, at least) might have listened first to MnSCU voices before Chamber of Commerce and Itasca Project members were even allowed in the room.

The writer is a professor.

I have hiked Isle Royale and have enjoyed seeing moose and following the history of the wolves and moose on the island ("Wolves on Isle Royale are down to last two," April 19). While the moose population has increased on Isle Royale, it has decreased in Minnesota. All I hear is whether to introduce more wolves into Isle Royale. My question to the National Park Service is why not let the moose population grow and transfer the overabundance of moose to Minnesota?

This solves two problems: one, the natural evolution of Isle Royal without the eventual die-out due to limited food, and second, the population of moose in Minnesota would be restored.

The Sixth Ward, where there is an enormous concentration of minority groups with low incomes and the largest population of children under age 18, would see significant investment in Currie Park in the heart of Cedar-Riverside, Peavey Park in Ventura Village and Matthews Park in Seward neighborhood, as well as the Phillips pool. These investments would provide measurable health benefits for our seniors and would allow thousands and thousands of children of color to feel like first-class members of this city.

My support for any Park Board funding plan was contingent on addressing the racial equity gap in our city. This means prioritizing funding for parks in neighborhoods that are densely populated, that are growing and that contain higher-than-average concentrations of poverty. I have quietly been supportive of Johnson's and Goodman's proposal to this point. Now I want to announce in no uncertain terms that I support the ordinance. It's time to trumpet support for this ordinance. Further, I ask Mayor Betsy Hodges and my colleagues on the City Council to get fully behind the proposal and enact it this week. We cannot delay.

This 20-year park plan provides an estimated $250 million in funds to revive our neighborhood parks. Combined with the Park Board's commitment to distribute the money based on racial and economic equity factors, it would be a significant statement our city can make to our residents and our country.

We truly are a city that looks to serve everyone regardless of their race, color or creed. The time for talk is over. The time for action is now.

The writer is a member of the Minneapolis City Council, representing the Sixth Ward.